Normally, I stay away from spec work and crowd-sourcing “contests”. I think they trivialize the work of an experienced designer, making his/her time and experience valueless. The one exception is work for non-profit organizations. My girlfriend found this entry for Beaker & Brush discussions, a monthly meeting to discuss various topics in art and science. Initially, I was hesitant to enter because I didn’t have any good ideas right off the top of my head but after a few days, I thought it’d be fun to combine the science portion of the group through imagery and leave the art portion to be represented by the actual style of the piece done in an expressionist fashion (originally conceived from various European expressionist paintings with a spattering of 2D cubism thrown in for good measure). Overall, I think it works pretty well. Will I win? Oh, I doubt that. When it comes to art contests (particularly those that involve a close-knit art community), the “random stranger entry” rarely gets the nod. Still, it was a fun exercise done in a style I don’t often get to use.